1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of magnetic recording heads, and more particularly to static discharge devices therefore.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,149, issued Feb. 23, 1982, and assigned to IBM, discloses that static electric, present especially during manufacture of a magnetic head, tends to build up on the conductors of the magnetic circuits and discharge through the pole pieces to the adjacent conductive layer of a slider upon which the head is mounted, destroying in whole or in part the pole pieces and insulation properties of the intervening dielectric thereby rendering the head ineffective and sometimes useless. This patent is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. The invention of that patent provided conductors 30 connected between studs 26 (see FIG. 5 of the present application as well) and a lower surface of insulator 22 adjacent slider support 10 so that the discharge took place through these discharge conductors 30 rather than through the pole pieces.
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view from the rear end of a similar prior art head 10 having structure directly corresponding to the structure of FIG. 3 of the aforementioned IBM patent but without the discharge conductors 30 of that patent. Shown in the figure are the head's magnetic poles 20 which are inductively connected to "comet" conductors 30 and 40, which are in turn connected to studs (shown in FIG. 5) corresponding to studs 26 of FIG. 3 of the above IBM patent. These conductors 30 and 40 each connect to coils 42, shown in FIG. 5, but corresponding to conductors 16 of the aforementioned IBM patent, which induce and sense magnetic flux in the poles 20. The conductors 30 and 40 are not directly connected to poles 20, but rather are electically insulated therefrom. Additionally, recesses 50 are provided to assist the flying characteristics of the head 10.